FOR Filipino-Australian Flynn Jackes, it’s not how you begin, but how you finish.
Due to a carburetor problem, the multi-titled 12-year-old karter started the KF Junior Restricted Blaze 100 division of the 2015 Petron Super Karting Series on the wrong foot at the Batangas Racing Circuit recently, finishing seventh overall in a nine-driver field in the time trial.
the no. 1 sign as he crosses the
finish line. Inset shows the 12-year
-old Jackes holding his award.
RAMON BOADO
The Asian Karting Open Championship reigning Mini-Rok titlist bounced back in the qualifying heat, where he jumped six places to no. 2 behind Larco Cortez with a time of 8:13:621.
But the job wasn’t finished.
The Year 7 student at British School Manila maintained his runner-up finish in the Pre-Final (8:13.476) behind Cortez again, before winning the Final with a very focused drive that had him mastering the field with a time of 11:03.042, fending off the late drive of experienced rivals Jacob Ang (runner-up) and Tai Zulberti.
“I kept telling myself that it ain’t over until it’s over. I really wanted to redeem myself from that seventh-place showing in the time trial. Fortunately, I never lost focus on the task at hand and was able to turn everything around in the next races,” said Jackes.
Overcoming adversity is nothing new to Jackes, who with his boyish good looks, appears like your typical regular kid next door. But once he dons his racing suit and boards his kart, Jackes is transformed into a fierce competitor, whose passion to win is unequaled at that young age.
In December last year, Jackes kept his Asian crown and is known as a competitor, who keeps on improving his craft. He was the Mini-Rok Class 2012 champion and placed third in the Asian Championship. In 2013, he went further as he won the Asian Championship following brilliant finishes in races in the Philippines, Macau and Singapore, before repeating this achievement last year.
“I would like to win the two higher race categories in karting (KF3 and KF2) for the Asian Championship as well as participate in selective races in Malaysia, Europe and Australia,” said Jackes.
Judging from the way he has performed lately, that could become a reality soon.